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 Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:25 pm
 Kara was almost running full out now. It felt so good to be back in her packlands. After her encounter with Ran she had returned straight home, even that small meeting was enough to make her spirits soar. Not to mention Ran had been so interested in the fact she was an Alpha, that had to mean something, right? The grin on her maw became wider and wider, until it looked like a menacing snarl. It was Kara's strange habit, and it frightened most wolves, but not all.
She tore around the bush and followed the trees, not bothering to look up and see if she was in the right place, she knew it by heart. A quick dive and she was through the nasty bush and crashing through water, her tongue lolling out of her mouth with glee. She turned sharply now, taking leaps through the raging river.
It was exciting to run in the stuff, how it bit against your fur and tried to stop you. She'd win out against it, though, as she always did. It was thusway she made it into her packlands, traveling towards the center with a speed that wasn't matched by many. Fortified over the many years of running everyday for the fun of it.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:40 pm
 Neira had become a lot more confident in her travels around these new lands now. She was beginning to get used to the lay of the land but was still finding new spots now and then. That didn't concern her at the moment. She was searching. Angrily. Maia had not returned after heading off to practice hunting. At first Neira had been worried for her young pup but as she looked for her and realised that the young female was no longer in the territory of the pack she was getting irritated.
Neira had warned Maia not to leave, had ordered her. Her tracks were almost impossible to follow - the sneaky little b***h had followed the river for a good way - meaning her footprints and scent had long since washed away. Maia had run away. It was slowly dawning on Neira that her only offspring was not coming back. "Ugrateful little..." Neira's voice trailed off into a growl.
Suddenly, a thudding in the ground warned her of another approaching and she looked up to spy her pack alpha coming towards her. She howled a greeting.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:50 pm
Kara was overjoyed to see the other and she responded with her own distinct voice. "Neira!" She picked up the pace once more, her breaths coming in heavy gasps. The muslces in her legs coiled and sprung, sending her vaulting up onto the riverbank where she persisted to keep moving, though at a trot.
That distinct grin was still on her face, tail held high and shifting back and forth profusely. "How are you?" She looked around for Jori, but could not find her. She hoped the other was still somewhere in the packlands and not doing something troublesome like getting pregnant. Kara wasn't sure if she could deal with a handful of pups at the moment. Speaking of. . .
"Where's Maia?" she asked, not seeing th enewly grown youth. Her breathing was becoming more steadied now, and her grin vanished to be replaced with a frown of worry. She didn't want to lose any pack members. Then again, Maia wasn't really one, her mother had brought her here and if Kara was to chose, it was to let the pup take her own path.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:27 pm
Neira was surprised at her alpha's friendlyness. It was not that Kara was mean but sometimes to the grey female she seemed a little standoffish. It was perhaps the aura of command or responsibility about the russet female but Neira had found it a little hard to get to know the strange, large female.
She would not miss a chance, though. "Hello Kara.." she smiled, lowering herself a little, her tail wagging slightly although she found it hard to keep her anger down. When Kara asked about Maia, though, she let loose.
"That little b***h has run off! I can't find her anywhere! Her lips curled up with anger. "She went off to practice hunting and she's not come back!" she sighed a little, some of her anger drained off by getting it all out. "I'm sorry, Kara..." she felt as though she had let her leader down.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:45 pm
It always bugged Kara when others lowered themselves to try and look more respectful. She never understood that part of wolf custom. Everyone was equal as long as they didn't threaten her, then she better see them bowing or she'd rip their little heads off. But Kara wasn't a violent wolf, and neither were her pack members, so such a thing had never occured.
She didn't expect such a loud and angry response from Neira, she'd always found the wolf to be very calm and forgiving. She was left a bit startled, blinking her eyes several times before she regained her sanity. She opened her mouth to speak, but the gamma was at it again.
Then, as if something had triggered a calm, she relaxed. Kara shook her head and smiled. It was normal for mother's to worry about their children, but they had to make their own choices some day.
"Ahh. .. " she sighed and sat down to look at her packmate. "I suppose its mostly my fault, not being around enough for the pack." She watched a blad of graze shift with the wind. It was such a nice day, too nice to be ruined with harsh words. "But then again, children will do what they wish. Perhaps one day when she learns there is little out there for her in the world she will reture. Or, better still, she'll find a pack that fits her, maybe raise a family and come back to see you as we all grow old. What can we do but best guide them, hmm?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:59 pm
Even if Neira had been told time and again (and she had) that Kara didn't need those trappings of rank the grey female couldn't have stopped. They were ingrained in her - even more so because she'd been quite low in the hierarchy of her old pack - and she done them without even thinking.
Feeling slightly embarrassed about her outburst, she nodded in response to Kara. "I just.. I don't want what happened to me to happen to her. She's young and alone and ... well she can be so stupid sometimes.." Neira wouldn't admit that part of Maia's innocence or lack of worldliness was because the she had coddled her a little too much - rough coddling but coddling all the same.
Neira had, in fact, lost the reason she had been clinging to for living for the past year. The birth of her first litter, her disgrace and expulsion from her old pack, her near starvation and then being found by Kara. Through all that Maia had been with her and she'd lived vicariously through her pup - trying to bring her up to be stronger, more skilled and perhaps maybe higher ranked than herself someday. Now she had lost a little of her purpose in life.
She couldn't really communicate that all to Kara, though, she wouldn't have dreamed it and probably couldn't fully communicate it anyways.
Sighing she nodded in agreement with Kara. "I was trying to track her... I want to find her.. You think I should leave her be?" the idea seemed to take on a new dimension in her mind. She had been all ready to chase after the stupid pup but perhaps the big world would do Neira's job for her and Maia would learn her lesson the hard way - just like Neira had - as much as the thought pained her.
"Have you ever had pups, Kara?" she had never thought to ask before because none were around but with Kara's attitude she might have some who had left...
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:08 pm
Kara remembered back to her youth. To the troubled times marked with murder and a particular wolf named Kiros. She shook her head, it was best for the pup to be on her own. The presence of her mother would only stir her further into the depths of revultion. "Yes," Kara agreed, though she could tell that the other was reluctant. "The youth have to learn on their own." That was all she had to tell the other, her matters of such things weren't high.
The question struck her completely off guard. "Uh. . . " she looked about for some means of escape, but could find none. She swallowed the thickening mucous in her throat and flicked an ear at an overflying bird. It was an awkward situation for her, for there was a secret dwelling deep within this Alpha she could tell to no one. Only Kaho knew. . . if only Ran did. She choked on her words, but she had to say them.
"No. . . its. . . a bit . . . uh, hard." She gave a sheepish grin and attempted to wag her tail to make up for it. However, she was an alpha, so as alphas go, she had to be strong, stronger than all her pack members. She could be nice, but she had to hold together. "A brother, though." Not a real blood brother, she reminded herself, but one whom she barely knew, but still considered one.
"Was Maia your only one? It must be hard."
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:08 pm
Neira nodded, wondering if the other female was unable to whelp and wishing a little that she hadn't pried. She sat down with a thump, all of the energy and anger draining out of her. Maia would learn on her own.
It was Neira's turn to be caught off guard by the question presented to her now. "Oh.. Mm.." her dark red eyes scanned the ground as if searching for a way to answer. "Maia was one of four... I guess that's why I am so protective of her.. she was the only one who survived." Neira didn't get overly morose about the fact now. She had dealt with it for the most part and knew she'd have been dead by now if she'd had to support four pups by herself in those few weeks alone. Wolf pups died often when a wolf wasn't part of a pack, it was just part of nature...
"I had only sisters" Neria smiled, trying to steer the conversation away rom what seemed to be an awkward issue for both of them. "Have any more come to add to our numbers?" she wondered aloud, knowing that until a little while ago she'd never met a single other member of the pack.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:30 am
Kara wasn't sure if she'd liked to have had sisters. Even though she'd always dreamed of having a pure blood brother, she had never mused the idea of sisters. Females tended to be a bitchy lot, and she'd rather stay away from the majority of them. Males were worse, however, with their stupidity and lack of brain power. There was something in them that made them quite drunk, it seemed, and irresponsible.
Kara thought for a moment, Neira hadn't met anyone yet. "Yes, actually," she said. "We have . . . " it took her a moment to think of all their names, plus there were some more possiblities for members since she had been out traveling. "Jori, Yourself, Carey, and there are two others who might be joining. They aren't sure. Youth, mainly, all female." She wondered where Carey had gone off to. The youth had showed such promise, but she was probably hunting or taking care of herself. She didn't seem a big fan of being in a pack, much like Kara herself.
She was a brave and tricky wolf, though, and if Kara had to pick an alpha, she would be the one. The other wolves seemed to have elected her, however, and even Ran thought she was an alpha, so she took up the title as best she could, though she still found herself submit to some wolves. She wondered what one alpha said to another upon meeting? Did they both display dominance, or simply go their seperate ways. Perhaps she'd meet Raja, as an alpha. She didn't seem like such a bad wolf otherwise, but could power truly corrupt another?
"And," she added quickly. "You are always welcome to go searching for a few. Don't need to be stuck in the packlands forever, its just safer." She wagged her tail slightly and shook her body from the beads of water that were still resting on her coat. "But I'm starved," she said with a grin. "Let's catch some lunch!"
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:46 pm
Neira hadn't particularly enjoyed all of her sisters company. Perhaps one or two of the six of them had been bearable to be around but the rest had been stuck up and thought themselves above the dowdiest of the litter. Her's had been a very matriarchal upbringing - she hadn't had much to do with her father and with so many females around it was hard going if you were the bottom of the pile.
She nodded as her alpha spoke of the others. She'd met Jori, yes, but not Carey. She was sure she'd run across this other at some point. The few hopefuls gave her a bit of a lift - having more wolves around would make things a bit more pleasant. As much as she'd hated her old pack Neira was a pack wolf and did not like to be alone. She was perhaps very odd in that respect compared to the others currently in the pack.
As her leader suggested a hunt she stood back up, stretching her legs out. It would be good to go for a run, work her muscles, forget a little about her current situation. She wasn't particularly hungry having fed not long before but a chance to hunt shouldn't be missed at this later time of the year.
"Allright!" she said, as if coming to some decision. "What's your fancy?" she asked, wondering what Kara would pick to hunt or if she had nothing in mind.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 12:59 pm
Kara wasn't exactly sure what she fancied. All she knew was that she was hungry. "Hmmm. . . " she thought over in her mind, stretching her legs out as she did so. "I suppose whatever we can find." She stretched out her jaw and released a whining pop to announce she was ready to go. With that, she let the way back out of the packlands. No use hunting in here, keep the deer as safe as possible that way when winter came they'd be easy to pick off.
She splashed her way back through the river, around the bush, and followed the trees, her nose alert for anything and everything that might have been about. "Smell anything?" she asked Neira, tiptoeing lightly. She kept her voice low, so as not to scare away prey.
Something caught the corner of her eye. So close? She didn't think it was possible, but there it was, a small fawn. They were the best to eat, so tender and fresh, and her mouth watered at the sight of it. However, wherever there was fawn, there was a mother, most of the time. Best to have only one go in, jus in case.
"Neira," she whispered, and jerked her head towards the small creature. Its ears were flicking and its head was bobbing, obviously trying not to fall asleep.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:13 pm
Neira shrugged as they moved off, wondering what they'd find. It was good to go outside the packlands for food - she hadn't worried until now as she's mostly been hunting smaller prey - rabbits and creatures which produced so many offspring it wouldn't make much of a difference.
She had shaken her head, negative, when asked if she could smell anything. Her body was tense, muscles taut, eyes gleaming. She liked hunting, liked the freedom of it and, suddenly, she realised that now she was free of her obligation to bring back prey for her daughter. Perhaps there were some up sides to this situation afterall. Thoughts of freedom crowded out her painful memories, her imaginings of lonliness as she strove to block them out with this new 'belief'.
She hadn't spied the fawn until after Kara had and once she did, at the whisper of the large female, she stopped dead. Crouching down, instinctively understanding the care this would take, she awaited her hunting partner's instructions.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:22 pm
Neira was far more into it than Kara ever had been to hunting. There was something about chasing prey that most woles loved, but she'd never taken a true heart to. She'd much rather run on her own without such severe motivation, but she supposed that might be entitled to it as well. Through running every day her muscles had become more refined than any other wolves she knew. They were capable of runing long distances in hot pursuit of faster prey. As long as she could keep them in sight, she could keep running them into the ground.
"You go after it," she said to other through body movements. She couldn't risk speaking and startling the fawn. It would be such an easy kill, if the mother wasn't around and the young creature didn't wake up too soon.
With any luck mother would be out searching for food, or something else, and baby would become their meal. Perhaps she'd find Jori and have her come join them. She didn't know when the last time the female had eaten was.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:31 pm
Neira's movements were all about silence, economy and in the last minutes, usually speed. When you unted in small groups you often couldn't spend time running down prey and especially for smaller prey like this it was better to be able to sneak up. Bigger prey such as musk oxen, adult deer - anything which could fight back and hurt a wolf - would have been a different matter but this little one should be an easy kill if everything went well.
Her body was low to the gorund, her ragged grey black broke up her outline making it look like waving grasses or reeds and her eyes stayed afixed to the fawn. Carefully placing her paws she moved around to one side, closer to its head-end and crept close. Sods law, though, dictated that just as she went to spring a bird above her spied her and lilted out a warning call. The young deer, who's best defense was not to be seen, had a moment of indecision which sealed it's fate. As she lunged forward, though, Neira could not grab the neck of the baby deer for a quick kill.
Instead, the grey wolf found herself clinging to a spindly back leg with a bleating fawn attatched. With it's mother no doubt nearby this was not an ideal situation. "s**t" she grumbled half to herself, eyes looking up to the other for assistance with the critter which suddenly seemed to be all legs.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:09 pm
Kara was content to watch Neira as she started her hunt. She had even settled down into sitting position when things went horribly wrong. She'd been looking away when the foul language caught her attention. Instantly her body shot into awareness and she sprang into action, her body tore towards the fawn, in an attempt to silence it when her jaws.
The struggling creature tore and jumped, trying to escape, and finally twisted so hard its leg came completely free. It fumbled and fell, trying desperately to regain its feet, but it wasn't doing a particularly good job. It wasn't many moments later when mother came to the rescue, her cloven hooves flying.
It was Kara's turn to use profanity. "********!" she snapped, nipping at Neira to get going. A deer's hooves could tear right through the skin and rip out intestines, or watever else she wanted for that matter. Not leaving anything to chance she darted off through the woods, some distance away.
Safe enough for the moment she felt content to peer around the tree at the mother who was standing protectively over her fawn. A fawn which was bleeding profusely all over the damp earth. "That little b***h is going to spoil good meat," she complained to Neira about the mother deer. Even if the fawn was to die within an hour - which, with the amount of blood, was extremely possible - the mother would still persist to guard the corpse. Unless it became very cool, very fast, they'd have to take down the adult as well, and that was wasteful.
"You're choice." She'd leave the option up to Neira. It was easier than her deciding and it would make the wolf feel more confident about herself.
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